Game Night
by Karl Kadaver
Summary: The Mane Six are playing just an ordinary game of "Ponies and Perils," until a new Game Master shows up...
1. Part 1: The Game Master

AN: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, the Mane 6 or the Elements of Harmony. I also do not own Dungeons and Dragons, but I do own dice. Just in case... I am part owner of Eight Star.

The last of the Diamond Dogs defeated, Princess Bravely, the earth pony paladin, sheathed her blade. Silent Night, the pegasus rogue, as usual, remained hidden, expecting another ambush. The two mages, Magic Fire, the unicorn wizard, and Sing Song, the unicorn bard, breathed a sigh of relief. The last encounter had used nearly all of their spells. Grim Jaw, the earth pony berserker, kept watch over the way the party had already come.

"Sing Song," Bravely commanded, "Check the Element of Avarice. Has it been purified yet?"

Sing Song rummaged in her bag and withdrew the Element of Avarice, the corrupted Element of Generosity. It glowed faintly. "No…"

"Damn…" Magic Fire frowned. "What else is there to do? We defeated the Diamond Dogs. One would think that that would purify the Element."

"Shh…" Although, nopony could see her, Silent Night's whisper seemed to come from immediately behind the rest of her party. "I hear something. Brace yourselves."

"E-Excuse me… Hello?" A voice sang out from the darkness. "Is…is it safe to come out?"

"Who are you?" Bravely's voice boomed into the darkness, perhaps a little louder than it should have, because the voice didn't respond for several seconds.

"I…I've been held prisoner here for so long. Please…are you here to rescue me?" A beautiful pony stepped out into the party's view. Her amber tresses flowed down past her knees, and nearly covered her large, green eyes. "Oh!" she said, spying the Element of Avarice, "What a beautiful piece of jewelry!"

Sing Song drew back slightly. "This isn't-"

"It's no ordinary piece of jewelry, m'lady," Bravely interrupted. "It is the Element of Avarice! It has been corrupted by the nefarious Discord, and we five have been sent by Princess Celestia to purify them."

"Oh. I'm sure I could do that," the pony said, moving closer to Sing Song. "Please let me see it."

"I don't know about that…" Grim Jaw stomped over and placed herself between the pony and Sing Song. "The Elements of Discord are not to be taken lightly. Back away."

The former prisoner glared at Grim Jaw. "You _will_ give it to me."

Grim Jaw, completely unconvinced, replied, "No. I. Will. Not." Sing Song took a couple more steps back and placed the Element of Avarice back into her bag.

"_GIVE IT TO ME!" _The pony suddenly roared, shoving past Grim Jaw with more strength than a pony her size should possess and grabbed Sing Song's bag from off her back. She violently swung it back and forth until the Element of Avarice flew out. Showing almost supernatural dexterity, the red-maned pony clamped down on the element of Avarice and slipped it around her neck.

The adventuring ponies were quite stunned at this turn of events and were rendered completely speechless. Red-Mane seemed quite pleased with herself.

Princess Bravely was the first to speak. "Uh…Whadda we do now?"

"We get it back," Silent Night whispered from the darkness. The other ponies didn't see it, but the rogue began creeping toward Red-Mane.

"Yeah!" Magic Fire prepared a fireball spell.

* * *

><p>"What the heck! A fireball?" Applejack, who was playing as Princess Bravely, shouted. "We're in a cave, ya dummy! You'll kill us all!"<p>

"That's why I announced what I was doing this time," Rainbow Dash responded. "So you have time to get away." She grinned wickedly. "C'mon, Twilight. Lemme cast the fireball." She rubbed her hooves together in anticipation.

Twilight rolled her eyes from behind her Dungeon Master's screen and rolled a few dice. Her eyes widened in concern. "Uh…roll resistance checks…"

Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie all rolled their dice and glanced at their character sheets. Rarity, who was playing as Sing Song spoke first. "12."

Fluttershy, who was playing as Silent Night, frowned. "5…"

Pinkie Pie, otherwise known as Grim Jaw, smiled. "20!"

Applejack announced her number next. "15."

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "I don't need a resistance check. I'm automatically immune. Heh."

* * *

><p>Magic Fire cast the fireball at the red-maned pony, hitting her squarely in the side. The fireball then exploded, causing the ponies around her to be flung back. Silent Night was immediately knocked out, while Sing Song and Princess Bravely managed only to get singed slightly. The berserker, Grim Jaw, seemed to take no damage whatsoever.<p>

"Red-Mane" cried out in pain and steadied herself. "You won't live to regret that…" she growled. Her form suddenly began to change from a beautiful pony to that of a half pony-half dragon, with a scaly coat, snakes for a mane and large fangs. "My Master will soon have the Element of Avarice, and Equestria will be DOOMED!" "Red-Mane" rushed toward Magic Fire, but a sudden flash of steel barred her progress.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Princess Bravely clenched her longsword in her teeth and braced herself for battle. "You'll have to go through me…"

"_With Pleasure…"_

"Hoo-whee! This is getting' intense!" Applejack exclaimed.

"I like it, too. It's scary, but not too scary," Fluttershy nodded.

"Shh!" Rainbow Dash shushed at Fluttershy. "You're dead! Dead ponies can't talk!"

"I'm sorry…" Fluttershy immediately clamped her mouth shut after apologizing and glanced around nervously.

"She's only knocked out, Rainbow Dash," Rarity replied. "Right, Twilight?"

Twilight Sparkle looked out over her screen. "Yeah. She's only knocked out, Rarity. And Fluttershy, you're allowed to talk out of character if you want." She then quickly ducked behind her screen and rolled a few more dice.

Fluttershy exhaled as if she were holding her breath the whole time. "Whew. I'm glad for that!"

Twilight looked up again from her screen. "Oh, Applejack. Roll initiative, please. Thank you." She ducked back behind her screen while Applejack rolled her die. "12."

From behind her screen, Twilight responded, "Oh dear."

* * *

><p>Red-Mane struck first, lashing out with her tail. The attack struck Princess Bravely soundly across the face, but the paladin remained undaunted. "You think a little slap'll stop me? Taste steel!" Bravely rushed forward and slashed Red-Mane down her flank, causing Red-Mane to cry out in pain.<p>

"Grah! You blasted foal!" she hissed, lashing out again with her tail. But Bravely was too quick, and her sword intercepted it, causing even more damage to the half mare-half serpent.

"Lightning Bolt!" Magic Fire shot a bolt of lightning at the chimeric creature, delivering a powerful jolt.

"Lemme hit her, too!" Grim Jaw drew her great axe and swung it in a mighty arc.

* * *

><p>"Can I sing a Song of Inspiration?" Rarity asked.<p>

"Lightning Bolt!" Rainbow Dash cried out again.

Fluttershy also said something, but it was lost in the din of everypony else's moves and requests.

Twilight frantically began rolling dice. "Hold on, hold on!" In between rolls, she was scribbling notes behind her screen. Everypony else was still making their requests.

"Lightning Bolt! Magic Missle!"

"Bash! Smash!"

"~La, la, la, laa~"

"Um…Twilight…?"

"C'mon, Twilight! Lemme finish 'er!"

"Acid Arrow!"

"Wham! Slam!"

"~La, laa…~"

"You can't stop mah mighty blade!"

"Twilight…?"

Twilight Sparkle suddenly slammed her hooves on the table and cried out, "AAUUGH, THAT'S IT! ROCKS FALL! EVERYONE DIES!"

Everypony stopped what they were doing and sat, stunned, for a few moments. Twilight breathed heavily and glared at the rest of the ponies. Rarity suddenly broke the silence. "Well, that was rather anticlimactic…"

Rainbow Dash scratched her head. "So…what happened? Did we win?"

"Yeah, Twi. What happened to that Red-Maned critter?" Applejack added.

Fluttershy began to cry. "Are we…are we _really_ dead…?" She sniffled a little and looked forlornly at her character sheet.

Twilight let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm sorry, girls... I just wanted to get your attention. There's a lot happening here at once, and there are a lot of moves and damage to resolve. Just…_please…_hold on while I roll some dice."

Fluttershy sniffled again. "So, we're _not_ dead?"

Twilight smiled, while continuing to roll dice. "Not in the slightest, Fluttershy."

Rainbow Dash interjected, jabbing Fluttershy in the ribs. "Except for your character. _She's_ dead."

Before Fluttershy could pout, Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie all shouted, "She's not dead! She's _KNOCKED_ _OUT_!"

Rainbow snorted, "Same difference…"

Twilight finished scribbling something down behind her screen. "Whew! Ok, I think I have everything resolved. You girls really pounded the snot out of the boss…"

* * *

><p>With the last blow, the serpent-equine fell. With her last breath, she growled. "You may have defeated me, but you will never stop the Cult of Discord…" She sighed and expired, her body disappearing, leaving only the purified Element of Generosity.<p>

Sing Song lifted the Element and placed it in her bag. "'Cult of Discord'? What's that mean?" Naturally, she was confused as none of the party members have heard mention of this 'Cult of Discord' before now.

"Well, a cult is a group of ponies who worship something. It must be like, this group of ponies worships Discord. But that seems silly, because Discord is a statue. It'd be better to worship something that can actually _talk_ to you. But since this is a cult of Discord, maybe they're okay with worshipping a statue, because he's a big meanie pants and they're craazyyy…" Grim Jaw explained, making loopy-eyed gestures.

* * *

><p>"Pinkie, I…think you're talkin' out of character…" Applejack interjected.<p>

"Oh! Sorry… Lemme try that again," Pinkie replied.

* * *

><p>Grim Jaw cleared her throat and grunted. "Me not know. Maybe Celestia knows."<p>

* * *

><p>Pinkie Pie looked expectantly at Twilight Sparkle, who nodded her approval.<p>

* * *

><p>"Grim Jaw's right. Maybe we should see the Princess about this." Princess Bravely adjusted her armor and sheathed her blade. The others nodded in agreement. Sing Song healed Silent Night and brought her up to speed on events.<p>

* * *

><p>"Ok! I think we'll end it there for now. It's getting late." Twilight Sparkle clapped her hooves together. "Next time, you'll talk to Princess Celestia about the <em>Cuullt of Discooord… OOooOOhh…<em>"

"So we're gonna have to fight Discord _again_, Twi?" Applejack chuckled.

"Maybe…" Twilight replied slyly. "Maybe not… You'll have to play and see."

Rainbow Dash punched the air with her hooves. "We'll womp him just like we did last time!" Then she turned toward Fluttershy. "Except for Silent Night. She'll be dead."

"Knock it off Rainbow Dash. We're not going to let anyone die," Rarity shushed. "Um, right Twilight?" she added.

Twilight replied with a snicker, "Maybe…"

*knock knock*

"Who could that be?" Twilight opened the door to find a crimson pony wearing a dark hood. "Ze- Zecora?"

The crimson pony chuckled. "No, no… Although… I_ am_ a sorcerer. You can call me 'Eight Star.' Or, 'Game Master' if you prefer."

"Oh," Twilight nervously chuckled. "Uh, okay, Eight Star. Is there…something I can help you with?"

"Not a thing, actually. Although… I think that I might be able to help _you_." He leaned in a little closer. "I hear that you and your friends like to play games." He craned his neck to the side to get a look at the other ponies.

Pinkie Pie immediately rushed up the Eight Star, shoving Twilight to the side in the process. "Of course we like to play games! What kind of pony doesn't like to play games?" She got right up into the crimson pony's face. "A boring pony! That's who!"

Eight Star seemed completely unperturbed by Pinkie's sudden outburst. He simply took a step back and chuckled. "Well, I can assure you, this game is _not_ boring." He cast a sly glance at the rest of the girls. "In fact, one might say that it's something that ponies could _really get in to…_"

"Well, let's see it then!" Applejack demanded.

"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash added. "I wanna see this Oh-So-Awesome game!"

Eight Star snickered. "Very well. I shant keep you waiting any longer." From underneath his cloak, he magically produced a small, black box. The top of the box was inlaid with an eight-pointed star. "Let's play…"


	2. Part 2: The High Mage

Eight Star had taken his place at the head of the table, with the other ponies surrounding him. The small box lay open in the center of the table. Within it were several faintly glowing dice. He spoke to Twilight Sparkle. "If you would, please, give each die to one of your friends. I'm afraid the dice you currently possess won't work for my version of this game."

As Twilight levitated the new dice with her magic, she asked, "How is this game different from 'Ponies and Perils'? Will we need to make new characters?"

Eight Star, while reading over the campaign notes that Twilight had left behind her screen, replied, "It's not _that much_ different… Just…better. It's a game that I invented myself with all new creatures, classes, and character races." He thought for a moment. "In fact if you don't mind, Miss Peril Master, perhaps I'll continue your campaign. I very much like it."

Twilight smiled. "That's fine. And you don't have to call me 'Peril Master.' It's simply 'Twilight Sparkle'." She went around the table nodding to each of her friends in turn, "This is Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie." Each of the ponies spoke a greeting to the newcomer.

"Howdy."  
>"Hey."<br>"Hello there."  
>"Um, hello."<br>"Hiya!"

"Pleased to make all of your acquaintances," Eight Star replied with a hint of disinterest. Twilight simply chalked it up to his being distracted by reading her notes. After a few moments, the self-proclaimed sorcerer looked up from behind the screen. "I've settled on character classes for each of you. You'll all be starting as Tier 4, Level 30 characters. It only seems fair. Now listen carefully, which of you is 'Grim Jaw?'"

Pinkie Pie raised her hoof. "That's me!" She jutted her lower jaw and made a 'grim' expression on her face to illustrate.

"Excellent. Your character will be changed from a Barbarian, which in my game is a mere Tier 3 class, to a 'Berserker'.

Pinkie Pie threw her hooves up in excitement. "Woo hoo!"

Then Eight Star went through the other characters similarly: Applejack/Princess Bravely would become a Temple Knight, Rainbow Dash/Magic Fire would become a Pyromancer, Rarity/Sing Song would remain a Bard, albeit a more specialized Bard, and Fluttershy/Silent Night would become a Dungeon Runner.

Twilight glanced around sheepishly. "Uh, Eight Star? I don't have a character sheet. What can I be?"

Looking around the library, Eight Star commented, "This is your house, correct? I believe that you would make an excellent Apprentice character…" He gave Twilight a sly smile. "Would you like to be a High Mage?"

Twilight's eyes almost lit up at the thought, but she remembered that it was only a game and calmed down some. But the way he said it… "That sounds feasible," was her reply.

"Excellent. If you wait a few seconds, Miss Twilight, I'll have a character sheet for you." Eight Star looked at the rest of the ponies. "And if you five don't object, we'll get started." He grinned. "I'm good at multitasking."

As he looked down at Twilight's Character sheet, Twilight heard him speak. _"What would you like your name to be, Miss Twilight Sparkle?" _It felt to her like recalling a memory, but the fact that she didn't do it herself caused her to leap back from the table, and also causing her friends to give her confused glances. She looked around the table, and heard Eight Star speaking, although it sounded as if her ears were stuffed with cotton. "Please, if there aren't any more interruptions, let us continue. Miss Applejack, would you like to speak to the Princess?" She then heard the sorcerer speaking in her mind again. _"Your first time with telepathy, Miss Twilight? I know it can be a bit…unsettling…at first. Just let your mind relax. I'll do the __**hard**__ work…"_ She also thought she heard what sounded like chuckling in her mind.

Twilight could hear Applejack speaking and Eight Star replying to her, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. _Just let your mind relax, Twilight. That's what Eight Star said…_

"_Excellent. Now, what would you like your character's name to be?"_

"_I hadn't really thought about it… How about…"_

* * *

><p>"I apologize for not having told you sooner, my little heroes. The revelation that the Cult of Discord is behind this is disturbing." Princess Celestia paced back and forth in her throne room. "Surely, I thought that the Element Bearers had sealed away Discord forever… I know exactly what this 'Cult of Discord' is."<p>

"Then tell us!" Magic Fire interjected.

The Princess sighed. "There are those ponies among us who wish nothing more than for the reign of Discord to begin anew." She seethed, "Although, for the life of me, I don't understand why…" Seeing the heroes standing before her, she quickly composed herself. "Knowing that they are now organized enough to have a name, and that they possess magical powers as you have explained…it causes me great alarm. You must purify the Elements of Harmony and stop this cult immediately! Purifying the Element of Generosity is only the first step."

"May I enter now?" A small voice chimed in from somewhere outside the room.

"Ah, yes. You may enter." As the large throne room door creaked open, the Princess turned to the heroes. "This quest may be too much for you five alone, so I have sent for my greatest and most faithful student to assist you." At that moment, a purple unicorn, dressed in the robes of a wizard complete with bells on the hem, entered the room. "Ladies, meet Twilight Shine."

Princess Bravely sniggered, but for the most part maintained her composure.

Magic Fire was not so couth.

* * *

><p>Rainbow Dash guffawed. "'Twilight Shine'? Really? Leave it to you to pick the least original name ever!"<p>

Twilight blushed and glanced down sheepishly. "Well… It was the best I could think of…"

Rarity tried to comfort her friend. "There, there. It's not a _terrible_ name… Really."

Applejack nodded. "Yeah! We'll always know which character ya'll have! Like RD is one ta' talk anyway... 'Magic Fire'? Oohh…"

"And what's _wrong_ with _my _name…_Princess.._?" Rainbow Dash glared at Applejack.

"Please… Let's not fight…" Fluttershy sank down almost under the table.

Suddenly, the six mares heard the same voice in their heads. It was, of course, Eight Star. _"Now, ladies… Let's focus on the task at hand, shall we? Where were we? Ah, yes…"_

* * *

><p>The five heroines, having recovered from their giggle fit, introduced themselves.<p>

Grim Jaw puffed out her chest and beat on it with a hoof. "Me Grim Jaw!"

"Don't mind her. She doesn't talk like that all the time. I'm Princess Bravely." Bravely bowed slightly.

Silent Night nodded a greeting and smiled.

"Ooh, I love the bell- I mean…I'm Sing Song. I will…um…sing songs for your pleasure, or if you're in need of any assistance."

"And I'm Magic Fire. I'm an awesome Pyromancer, just bein' awesome. With an awesome name."

* * *

><p>Applejack and Rarity glared at Rainbow Dash, who sheepishly grinned and chuckled. "Sorry. Couldn't resist."<p>

* * *

><p>After leaving the throne room, the heroines were given leave to speak amongst themselves. Princess Bravely spoke first: "So which element should we purify next? I almost wanna say that we should all go purify each element itself so we can complete the Princess's task that much quicker."<p>

Twilight Shine interjected. "We can't split the party! Besides, you all almost died when fighting the Diamond Dogs _and_ the Rarimander!"

The others stared at the High Mage, dumbfounded.

* * *

><p>"'Rarimander'? Was that the boss? And how did you know we almost died?" Rarity asked as if she didn't get the reference to the "<strong>Rari<strong>-mander", which she didn't.

Twilight shrank back for a moment. "Ohmigosh! I…I guess I shouldn't know that stuff, right…?" She let her head fall to the table with a resounding "thud".

Eight Star chuckled. "No need to worry Miss Twilight. We all make mistakes. Nopony's _Perfect_. We'll just all assume that you heard the characters talk about it while you stood outside the throne room. Moving on…"

* * *

><p>"Right," Grim Jaw agreed. "No split party."<p>

"Thank you Pi- I mean, Grim Jaw," Shine stated.

"Well, if we're all done introducing ourselves, we should really get going," Bravely commanded. "These Elements aren't going to purify themselves."

The others nodded in agreement. Magic Fire took this time to ask, "So…which one should we do first?"

Shine replied, "We should start with the Element of Betrayal. It's what I ha-"

* * *

><p>Twilight facehoofed. "Nuts! I almost did it again. I'm sorry, you guys."<p>

Eight Star lowered his hood for the first time since joining the game, revealing a horn. "It's quite alright, Miss Twilight. I'm used to players who think out of character. I've already planned for it. You may attempt to purify the Element of Betrayal if you wish." He smiled slyly.

"Um…is it okay if I reveal the background, then?" Twilight asked.

The crimson unicorn smiled. "Of course… It _was_ your campaign."

* * *

><p>Shine stood facing the rest of the group. "Uh… Th-" Her face suddenly lit up as an idea came to her. "The <em>Princess<em> has revealed to me that she believes that the Element of Betrayal would resonate the most in Cloudsdale, as the previous wielder of the Element of Loyalty was born there." She grinned.

"Well then!" Bravely replied. "Let's get going!"

* * *

><p>Rarity suddenly sniffed the air. "Does anypony smell that? Twilight, are you using some kind of air freshener? It smells lovely. I didn't notice it until just now."<p>

Twilight glanced at her friend, slightly confused. "No…I don't have any… It _does_ smell in here. What _is_ that?"

Eight Star smirked. "Do you like it? It's lavender. Mixed with a little something of my own. Just relax and breathe deep…"

Applejack tried to stand, but found that her legs just seemed too weak, "What're you…" Suddenly, she and the rest of the ponies, save for Eight Star, fainted on the spot.

The crimson unicorn breathed a sigh of relief. He had built up a tolerance to his own concoctions years ago. He glanced at each pony in turn. "Sleep well, ladies. You all have a _Big_ day ahead of you."

Then, he began to mutter an incantation. "Soahc rof siht od ew, uoy sdnib hcihw soach eht s'ti. Soahc rof siht od ew, uoy sdnib hcihw soach eht s'ti." As he chanted, the die in front of each pony began to glow brighter and a fine mist travelled from it to each pony, finally enveloping each in a faint, blue glow.


	3. Part 3: The Berserker

Chapter 3: The Berserker

_Soahc rof siht od ew, uoy sdnib hcihw soahc eht s'ti... _

_Soahc rof siht od ew, uoy sdnib hcihw soahc eht s'ti… _

_Why do those words sound familiar…? Did I read about them somewhere?_

_And why is it daytime?_

Twilight opened one bleary eye and slowly looked around. Through her blurry vision, she could see that she and five other ponies were lying in a room. The room was furnished with several beds, just enough for each of them to lie on, actually. There was a window to the outside at one end of the room and a door on the other. A suit of armor lay neatly in a pile toward one corner of the room. A pair of saddlebags could be seen by each bed; each bag was adorned with what was presumably each pony's Cutie Mark: A Sword and Shield, A Crescent Moon and a Star, A Lute, A Flame, and A Stone Axe with a Jawbone. Twilight looked down by the bed that she was lying on and saw that the Cutie Mark on the saddlebag next to her bed was a Sun surrounded by five smaller stars. "What's going on here?" She looked around the room and took note that the other ponies _looked_ like her friends, but something also seemed…_off…_about them. Not to mention that in Rainbow Dash's place was a light blue _unicorn_. Twilight leapt out of her bed and shouted, "Girls! Wake up!"

The other ponies started, most of them snapping their heads up, eyes darting about the room. Except for "Rainbow Dash". She turned in her bed and muttered, "Five more minutes, 'kay?"

The earth pony with the Sword and Shield Cutie Mark spoke first. "What they hay? Where are we? Twilight, where are we?"

The purple unicorn stared at the orange earth pony. "How…how do you know my name? Have we met?"

The white unicorn with the Lute Cutie Mark flipped her mane. "I don't know how _she_ knows you, but I'm _certain_ we've met before-"

The orange earth pony gave Twilight a quizzical look. "Uh…really? It's Applejack, Twi. We've been friends for a while."

Twilight shook her head. "Applejack?" she repeated, as if she'd never heard the name before. "That can't be right… Applejack has an _apple_ Cutie Mark, not a sword and shield."

The pastel yellow pegasus with the Moon and Star Cutie Mark spoke up next. "I don't know anyone here, except for Twilight, too. It's a pleasure to meet you all. My name's Fluttershy."

The white unicorn replied, "Fluttershy doesn't have a moon and stars as her Cutie Mark. Nice try…"

The light blue unicorn, who the others could see had a flame as her Cutie Mark suddenly sat up in bed. "Would you all just Shut! Up! I'm trying to sleep!" With a huff, she flopped back down on the bed and threw her pillow over her head.

Twilight's jaw suddenly dropped. "I…I think I realize what's going on…"

The others looked at her expectantly.

"I don't think you're going to like it. I sure don't…"

Applejack stamped her hoof. "Then what is it, Twi? What's goin' on?"

Twilight shook slightly as she looked at each pony and named them off. "Princess Bravely…Silent Night…Grim Jaw…Magic Fire…Sing Song…" She gulped. "Twilight Shine."

The realization hit Pinky Pie first. "Eight Star found a way to trap us in his game, but we're still our characters which is why we all recognize Twilight since she's not a very original character and why we didn't recognize each other because all of our Cutie Marks match our characters' Cutie Marks, except for mostly Twilight since her character isn't very original and we all recognized her right away. Oh. And Rainbow Dash is a unicorn."

Twilight blinked. "I…couldn't have said it better myself… Thanks, Pinkie."

"Not Pinkie," the pink pony replied. "Grim Jaw!" She contorted her face into a grim expression and jutted her lower jaw forward, then grunted for emphasis.

_Ladies… I see you're awake. Good._

Fluttershy cowered at the sound of the new voice that sounded in her mind, as well as everypony else's. Each pony knew exactly who it was. Twilight confirmed it when she muttered, "Eight Star…"

Applejack cried out, "Waddaya want, ya dang varmint? Why'd ya do this?"

_Dear Applejack…Or Should I say 'Princess Bravely.' Please do try to remain in character. Your drawl, while quaint and amusing, is…rather grating..._

"What do you want from us, Eight Star," Twilight seethed.

_Why do you always assume that I want something, Miss Twilight? You first assume that I need your help, and now you assume that I want something else from you. You do know what they say about when you assume something, eh?_ He chuckled. _The only thing I want is for you all to have fun. Is that really too much to ask?_

"I like having fun!" Pinkie replied.

_That's the spirit, Miss Pinkie Pie. Please, why don't you all try to follow her example?_

"How do we get out," Twilight asked through gritted teeth.

Eight Star cleared his throat, which was likely only for emphasis, as he was merely projecting his words into each pony's mind. He then "spoke":

_Heed my words, for it is best_

_So you can succeed in your Quest_

_The Elements of Chaos_

_They must be purified_

_If you wish to leave…_

_Uh…Hold on. Drat, _he muttered, _the zebra makes it sound so easy... Look, here's the gist: Purify the corrupted Elements of Harmony, then bring them to the Princess. Then, and only then, will you be allowed to leave._ Before anypony could interject, he added. _However, if after you complete your quest and you wish to stay, you may do that as well._ He mentally projected a grin into each of the mares' minds.

Rarity replied, "And what makes you think that any of us would want to stay?"

_Because it's fun. You could meet your Prince Charming here, Miss Rarity. Live in a beautifully furnished castle that rivals the Princess's for all of eternity. Wouldn't that be wonderful?_

Rarity huffed.

_And Miss Twilight. You'll never become more powerful in the magical arts in your world than you could be here. Why, here you could-_

"Shut up," Twilight stated. "We'll play your stupid game. For the time being."

"Yay!" Pinkie exclaimed.

_Excellent. Now, allow me to set up the scene: You all find yourselves in a room after a hard night of drinking. Sing Song, roll Perception. Oh, do forgive me. I forgot that you no longer have to make dice rolls. Simply look into your bags._

Pinkie Pie glanced quizzically. "Why would you make rolls out of dice? They'd taste terrible."

Rarity opened her bag and peered inside.

_Now tell the rest what you see._

"Nothing unusual. Torches, tinder, flint, steel…" She suddenly gasped and jerked her head out of the bag. "The Elements! They're gone!"

Eight Star snickered. _Yeah… there's that. I've made some revisions to your quest line, Miss Twilight. I hope you don't mind. You see, you must recover each of the six Elements, then purify them, __**then**__ bring them to the Princess._

Twilight grimaced. "Where can we find them?"

_Now, that'd be spoiling the surprise. However, since I basically dropped you in here with naught but the clothing on your backs, I'll give you a hint. Within the walls of the castle, there lives a scribe. He is aptly named 'Quill Inkwell'. He might know where the Elements are hiding. _He chuckled again. _Those pesky Elements… They do like to run off, don't they? Happy Hunting…_ With that final word, the ponies all felt as if a weight had been lifted as Eight Star's presence left the room.

The ponies stood in their room in a circle. "So, whadda we do, Twilight," Applejack asked.

Twilight cast her glance downward. "I…I don't know…"

Rainbow Dash tripped as she tried to rush forward. After recovering, she cried, "We have to get out of here! Won't one of your books help us?"

"I don't have access to my books here, Dash…"

"That might not be true." Rarity had left the circle to look out the room's solitary window. "Remember when you explained to us the concept of alternate universes? This might be one of these universes…" She moved aside to allow the others to see out the window.

As Twilight stepped forward, she could see that the town _appeared_ to look just like Ponyville, right down to the citizens who went about their daily tasks. Her expression brightened a bit. "You might be right! If Eight Star is using my campaign notes, which I based off of Equestria itself, then everything should be the same!"

Applejack replied, "But…don't we have ta worry 'bout meetin' our alternate selves?"

Twilight recalled their last trip through the Aether. While she looked back on the whole experience fondly, she knew that Applejack still had a point. "I'm…I'm not sure. I didn't make any of 'us' NPCs…" She smiled. "Besides, if we _did_ meet ourselves, and we explained what happened, I'm sure that they'd be more than happy to help!"

"So? Let's go the library then!" Rainbow headed for the door before Pinkie Pie intercepted her. In a deep voice, she commanded, "No. We go to castle first. Find Quill Inkwell."

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Pinkie…we don't have to-"

"No! Me Grim Jaw!"

Rarity, understanding what was happening, intervened. "Grim Jaw, dearie," she said, "The castle is pretty far off from here. We have to arrange transportation. But before that, we should check around town for any rumors or information regarding the Elements."

"Grim Jaw" stared long and hard at her friend before replying, "Okie dokie lokie!" Then, in a friendly manner, she slapped Rarity with her hoof, sending the hapless unicorn stumbling toward Applejack, who proceeded to prop her up.

"Ow, Pinkie! That hurt!" Rarity rubbed her shoulder. "You didn't have to hit me so hard."

Pinkie seemed almost hurt herself. "I didn't mean to, Ra- Sing Song. I guess I don't know my own strength…"

Twilight seemed to ponder for a moment, before a spark seemed to go off in her mind. "Pinkie…I mean, Grim Jaw. Thanks! I was just wondering about how to go about this, but it seems that I don't have to!"

Fluttershy, at that moment, seemed to appear from nowhere and spoke up. "What is it, Twilight?"

"Girls… Pinkie Pie hit you so hard, Rarity, because she's a _Berserker…_ Not because she meant to. We retain all of our characters' abilities! That would also explain why Dash is a unicorn!"

Dash cocked an eyebrow. "Does that mean…I can throw fireballs?"

Twilight nodded. "It would seem so."

The light blue unicorn grinned wickedly. "That…is…AWESOME! Here we go…" Her horn suddenly lit with an orange glow, causing Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy to simultaneously pony pile on top of her.

"Dash! Are ya _stupid_? Y'all can't throw a fireball in here! You'll kill us all!"

Dash tried to shake the others off. "Pff. If it's just a game, then we can't _really_ die. We'll just be ~_Knocked Out~…_"

Rarity winced. "Tell my shoulder that. It really hurts," she whined.

Twilight nodded. "She's right, Dash. We shouldn't try to do anything that's too dangerous before we know what our limitations are. Besides, if you start throwing fireballs in here, who knows what'll happen. We could be attacked by the townsponies for all we know."

Dash, finally having crawled out from under her friends, huffed and brushed herself off. "Fine. But the second we find an enemy, FOOM! I'll burn 'em like Pinkie burns muffins!"

Pinkie grunted. "Who is this Pinkie? Me only know yous guys."

Rarity rolled her eyes.

_You make your way to Ponyville Public Library, although for the life of me, I'm not sure why._

"Shut up, Eight Star," Twilight replied.

_Oh, Miss Twilight. I'm merely providing some atmosphere. Go along with it, my dear._

"Fine." The purple unicorn thought for a moment. "My friends and I are going inside. What do we find?"

_You find several ponies staring at you because you're narrating your actions. Really, Miss Twilight, I thought you'd be smart enough to step inside and find out for yourself._

Twilight exasperatedly sighed and opened the door to the library. It looked very much like her home in Ponyville. She even recognized several of the volumes that she owned. She also noted that there was no librarian in sight. _Hmm…_ Twilight wondered, _What information could I get here?_ "Say, Pinkie. Do you remember where I kept the book about the Elements of Harmony?"

Pinkie Pie stared blankly at her friend.

"Pinkie Pie. The book?"

The earth pony narrowed her eyes.

"Really?" Twilight asked flatly.

Pinkie nodded without saying a word.

"Oh for cripes sake… _Grim Jaw_. Do you remember where the book about the Elements of Harmony is?"

The "berserker" sprung into action, leaping at a nearby bookshelf and knocking several books from their places.

"PINKIE!" Twilight cried out, forgetting that these weren't actually _her_ books. "What are you doing?"

The pink pony poked her head up from a pile of books and chirped, "I'm staying in character!" She immediately resumed knocking several books onto the floor.

The purple unicorn facehoofed. "The…the books," she whimpered, "Aren't the enemy…"

Fluttershy, who once again seemed to appear out of nowhere, clutched a book in her mouth. Dropping it on the floor next to Twilight, she said, "Found it. It was under 'E'."

Twilight sighed. "Thank you, Fluttershy." She opened the book and began reading as Pinkie Pie continued to decimate the library, "The Elements of Harmony are magical artifacts that were created by a pair of rebels in the land of Discordia to seal away the power of their ruler, Discord the God of Chaos. Decades later, they were used by the jealous and maniacal Princess Celestia, to seal away the power of her younger sister, Luna, whom she called "Nightmare Moon" and convinced her subjects to turn against. A thousand years after that, the Elements of Harmony were given to six ordinary ponies who embodied each of the individual elements: Loyalty, Generosity, Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, and Magic. The ponies used the power of the Elements of Harmony to strip Luna, who had finally been able to return to Equestria to claim her rightful place, of her power and forever cement the wicked Celestia's place as the most powerful being in all of Equestria and ensuring that all ponies beneath her succumb to her iron hoof…" Twilight wrenched her face in disgust. "That's…that's not what the _actual_ book says…"

Eight Star's voice rang in the pony's minds, _Oh, I am so sorry. As I do not actually own the book in question, I had to make it up as I went. But, Miss Twilight, as you seem to have the utmost knowledge of Equestrian Lore, perhaps I'll let you tell the story…_ With this statement, the ink on the page disappeared, causing those gathered around to gasp. _Let's stay on track, shall we?_


	4. Part 4: The Dungeon Runner

Chapter 4: The Dungeon Runner

Staring at the blank pages of the book before her, Twilight Sparkle had to remind herself that they were in a game world and that the books that Eight Star _vandalized_ weren't real. She sighed, "Well…that's a bust… Let's see if we can find anything else."

The other ponies split up and began searching through the bookshelves, pulling random titles from their places. They would each hold up a volume in turn and ask Twilight "Is this what you're looking for?" or "Will this help?"

_You find nothing of use in the library. Really, how long must I watch you until you get back on track?_

And, per Eight Star's word, Twilight found that not one of the books was of any use, and those that would've been of use in her homeworld, were blank. "AUGH! Fine! What do you want us to do?" Twilight cried to the heavens.

_Please…you needn't shout._ Eight Star sighed. _The first objective in your quest is to find Quill Inkwell. But, really, you may do anything you wish._

"As long as it stays in line with what _you_ want…" Rarity quipped.

Without missing a beat, Eight Star replied, _Precisely. But don't lose heart, ladies. I'm giving you a fighting chance after all._

"Swell…" Twilight rolled her eyes. "Okay, girls, let's go back to Canterlot."

As the six mares made their way to the path that leads to Canterlot, Applejack suddenly stopped in her tracks. "Hey, y'all! We forgot our stuff at the inn!"

"What?" Rarity cried. "We have to go back and get it! We're already in an unfamiliar world. We need all the equipment we can get!"

The six dashed back to the inn and before the innkeeper managed to blurt, "We charge seven bi-" and they ran up the flight of stairs to what was their room. Applejack bucked open the door, only to find…nothing.

Their room was completely spotless, as if it had just been prepared for the next guests. The armor that had once sat in a corner of the room, gone. Their saddlebags, gone. Everything was gone.

"EIGHT STAR!" Twilight shouted.

This was followed by silence. A voice from downstairs called out, "What's going on up there? Is everything okay?"

Rarity nervously chuckled, "E-everything's okay. Just…just looking for our things." She thought for a moment, before asking, "Was this room recently cleaned?"

The innkeeper climbed the stairs to meet the mares, then he peered inside the room. "Uh, no. I don't think my daughter's been up here to clean the rooms yet. Are ya missin' something?"

"Oh, not much…" Rainbow Dash replied sarcastically. "Only _everything_!"

The innkeeper scratched his chin with a hoof and glanced around. "Eh, it must'a been that Mysterious Mare-Do-Bad. There's been a rash of thefts with her name all over it."

"Mysterious…" Twilight said.

"Mare," Rarity continued.

"Do-_BAD?_" the rest finished.

"Yup," the innkeeper replied. "That Mysterious Mare-Do-Bad has been a pox on our quaint village for some time now." He gazed at nothing in particular as he continued, "If only somepony could stop her…" He seemed to snap himself back into reality before shrugging and stating, "Welp, I guess that'll never happen. Oh well."

Dash thought for a moment. "_We_ could stop her…"

Twilight sighed. "We don't have time for this…"

Pinkie Pie started bouncing up and down. "Ooh! Sidequest! Sidequest! Can we do it, please?"

Rarity rolled her eyes. "Only if the great and mighty Eight Star allows it." She almost spat the name of their antagonist. She glared up at the ceiling. "Well?"

Pinkie also looked at the ceiling, expectantly. She batted her eyelashes for effect.

_Do what you want._

Pinkie and Rainbow Dash high hoofed. "Sidequest!"

The six ponies wandered around town for some time, attempting to find The Mysterious Mare-Do-Bad, with a frustrated Twilight Sparkle taking up the rear. "We _really_ don't have time for this…"

Applejack turned toward her unicorn friend. "T'ain't no helpin' it, sugarcube. 'Sides, if we wanna get our 'quipment back, we gotta find that no-good varmint."

"Keep looking up," Rarity suggested, glancing at the rooftops.

Rainbow Dash was also beginning to get frustrated. Every now and then, she would attempt to take flight, but much to her dismay she kept returning to the earth.

"Ugh! I can't stand not being able to fly! This quest would already be finished if I could," she hopped, "Just get," she hopped slightly higher, "Off the ground!" Upon landing, she panted then looked up and growled. "Why'd I have to be a unicorn?"

Pinkie, who was bouncing merrily beside her, chirped, "Because she's your character, silly! Besides, you look kind of cute as a unicorn!"

This comment caused the others to glance in the pink earth pony's direction.

"Well," Pinkie replied. "Doesn't she?"

"Yes…" Fluttershy whispered, blushing.

Twilight sighed. "Ok, if we're going to take this seriously, we may have to split up. There's always the chance that Mare-Do-Bad is more than one pony."

"Shh…" Rarity interjected. "Don't give _him_ any ideas."

The six suddenly heard Eight Star snicker.

"Stop that," Rarity replied.

_Don't mind me, ladies… You do realize that one of you can fly, right?_

The six cast confused glances at each other before five of them settled on the one pegasus in their party: Fluttershy.

Dash rushed over to her friend. "Of course! You could fly over the town and find Mare-Do-Bad from above!"

Fluttershy slowly backed away. "But…but I don't want to…draw attention to myself. I'm not as agile and talented as you, Rainbow." She glanced downward. "I'd probably mess something up…"

"Yeah, you're probably right," Dash agreed.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Fluttershy!" Rarity replied. "You've proven yourself time and time again. And you're the _only one_ who can help us here."

"But," the pastel pegasus whimpered, backing away, "I'm..afraid of heights…"

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Oh, come ON! I'll do it, then! Twilight, don't you have some kind of spell that'll let me fly?"

The lavender unicorn thought for a moment, then muttered, "Number 27…that should do it…" She concentrated, her horn glowing with a deep purple light. Suddenly, a purple beam blazed forth and struck Rainbow Dash in the chest.

But, rather than grow wings, Dash immediately slumped to the ground. As Twilight stood, wide-eyed and dumbfounded at the result, the other ponies surrounded their friend.

"What happened?"

"Are you okay?"

"Say somethin'!"

"Holy smokes! Your stats were reduced!"

The last phrase was, of course, spouted by Pinkie Pie. Rarity and Applejack glanced back at their pink friend. "'Stats reduced'?"

Pinkie began to nod, but suddenly realized that she wasn't in character. He nod turned into shaking her head back and forth. "Me not know what happen," she stated, her voice deepened.

Twilight continued to stare, dumbfounded. "But…but I…I know the spell by heart…"

_Then why in Equestria would you cast Necrosis on your friend instead of Polymorph?_

"What're you talking about?" Twilight replied.

Eight Star sighed._ Spells work differently in this world. A Purple aura denotes a Death Spell. You see, each spell type has its own color and-_

"Just get to the point!" Rarity exclaimed. "How do we heal Rainbow Dash?"

_All you would have to do is cast Life Invigoration. It's simple, really._

Rarity glared at the sky. "And _how_ pray tell, do you do that?"

Rainbow Dash slowly stood. With her knees still shaking, she wheezed, "Uh, slowly dying here, guys…"

"How do I do it?" Twilight asked, now panicking.

_Think "Pink," Miss Twilight._

"Okay. Here it goes." Twilight thought about pink energy emanating from her horn and engulfing Rainbow Dash and making her feel better. Soon enough, her horn glowed pink and shot off toward the former pegasus, engulfing her in a pink glow. Everypony could see that Rainbow Dash was slowly getting better, just as Twilight imagined she would.

Rainbow Dash stood, wide-eyed for a moment. "Oh wow… I… I think I feel better than before!" She leapt into the air, but became disappointed when she returned to the ground. "Still can't fly, though…"

Rarity sighed, knowing that at least _one_ crisis was averted. She then turned toward Fluttershy. "You're the only one who can do it, Fluttershy. We need you to fly above the town and find Mare-Do-Bad so we can end this quest."

"But…I can't…" Fluttershy replied, shrinking away from the rest of the group. "I'm scared…"

"What's to be scared of?" Rainbow Dash quipped. "You'll only be flying…" she squinted at the sky, making mental calculations, "about 150 or so feet in the air. Yeah, that should cover the rooftops. If you mess up and fall, you'll only break-" Applejack quickly rushed in and covered Dash's mouth with her hoof.

"Can it, you…" AJ grumbled at Rainbow Dash. Then she sheepishly grinned at the yellow pegasus. "What she means is, we'll be right here ta spot ya if somethin' should happen, right gals?"

The rest nodded in agreement.

Applejack quickly rushed forward and slipped herself directly underneath Fluttershy, who let out a soft yelp. "Then it's settled," the earth pony exclaimed, looking back at her friend. "You're goin' up, up, and away!" She hopped underneath her companion, who ended up wrapping her legs around her.

"C'mon, Fluttershy!" Applejack said, hopping once more. "Git goin'!" She jerked as she hopped, trying to get the pegasus off of her back.

Suddenly, the sound of dice being rolled could be heard.

"What was that?" Twilight asked.

The ponies looked around for the source of the sound, but soon realized that it was coming from their Game Master.

"What did you just do?" Twilight asked the sky. A pony who happened to be walking past gave her an odd look.

_I rolled a die. I can assure you, Miss Fluttershy, that if you were to take flight, you won't fail and hurt yourself, or anypony else._ He then added, _It's my world after all, and what I say goes._

Fluttershy looked up at the sky, hopefully. "Are…are you sure?"

_Would I lie to you?_ Eight Star mentally projected an innocent smile into each of the mares' minds.

"Yes…" replied Rarity, dryly.

_Fine. Don't fly. Forget about your equipment, because you're never getting it back._ The sorcerer projected a smirk._ Now, where were we?_

"Wait!"

All eyes went to the source of the voice: Fluttershy. A tear was welling in her eye and she was shaking a little. When she saw that they were all looking at her again, she drew back slightly and whimpered, "I…I mean…" She shook her head and a determined look crossed her face. "I'll do it."

Twilight approached the shaken pegasus. "Are you sure? I'm sure we could find-"

"If I don't fly, Eight Star said that we wouldn't get our things back and since Rarity said that we need them…I'll do it." Fluttershy gave her unicorn friend a single, resolute nod.

"Well…okay…" Twilight took a few steps back, and before she could say "Be careful," Fluttershy shot up into the sky.


End file.
